 [The Federalist] Earlier this year, an active-duty naval officer stated, anonymously, "I keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics for one reason: that barber has to trust me [emphasis added]."
"Neptunius" was referring to the awkwardness of an instance where his barber attempted to engage him in a political discussion. As part of the ethos of military professionalism, servicemembers are forced to preserve a facade of non-partisanship to maintain the public’s trust in an institution committed to preserving and defending the entire nation.
Not all servicemembers, active or retired, appear to see it that way. Retired Admiral William McRaven, former Special Operations Command commander and Navy SEAL, best known for his involvement in the mission that killed Osama bin Laden, recently authored another op-ed critical of President Donald Trump.
McRaven has been a consistent, vociferous critic of the administration from the beginning, as previously reported. But even by his standards, has McRaven gone too far this time?
Here’s the big point McRaven seemed intent on getting across: "if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office ‐ Republican, Democrat or independent ‐ the sooner, the better. The fate of our Republic depends upon it."
Let there be no mistake: McRaven is leveraging the uniform he once wore and the reputation he cultivated in the military to influence readers. Given the readership of The New York Times, this op-ed was clearly intended reach a wide audience, including potential voters. McRaven is intent on encouraging the public to turn against President Trump. It matters not that McRaven’s retired, because the public recognizes him not as a private citizen, but as an admiral and a decorated Navy SEAL, a perception McRaven is very likely aware of and embraces.
People Won’t Trust a Political Institution
Even during times of hyper-partisanship, the military remains the most-trusted institution in America by a wide margin. But trust can be undermined if the services are viewed as yet another partisan institution. As Duke University law professor and retired Air Force Deputy Judge Advocate General Charles Dunlap recently explained: 
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